Ah, profiteroles! An exquisite choice! I would be most happy to serve as "friend" to either of the parties simply to be part of this affaire d'honoeur.

It should be noted that the last recorded duel involving profiteroles was in 1747 in Ballyfungus, County Donegal. Acting in a oafish manner the Baron Oatmele insulted the wife of Sir Hugh Mac Hugh ("THE Mac Hugh") by more-than-implying that the lady's second daughter by her first marriage, Caitleen O'Neill, had been instructed by the lady to be come "close friends (wink, wink)" with the Hereditary Elector of Ducky-Swanstein in the hopes that the Elector would "come through" with money to assist the lady in paying off the gambling debts she'd accumulated at Dublin's notorious Heckfire Club. Sir Mac Hugh, a man of considerable girth, challenged the Baron, and quite rightly, but insisted that the duel be conducted on horseback, at a gallop, while each man would have a dozen profiteroles. Given the inequity in widths (the Baron was widely know as "The Spurtle") the Donegal Commission on the Code Duello agreed and the duel was conducted at dawn on December 3, 1747. The Baron deloped and the Commission declared Sir Mac Hugh the "Winner And Still Champeen" and awarded him The Belt stating such. The Belt is still in the possession of the now much-reduced Mac Hugh family and can sometimes be seen in Red's Pawn Shop in Ballyfungus.

It's amazing, innit? Here some guy sweated over phrasing that abstract in good faith, believing he was producing a value-added product, contributing some real thing to the world, and it ends up harmonizing with the whole theme of the MOAB. Ya gotta wonder whussup wid DAT!

Abstract Background As tertiary structure is currently available only for a fraction of known protein families, it is important to assess what parts of sequence space have been structurally characterized. We consider protein domains whose structure can be predicted by sequence similarity to proteins with solved structure and address the following questions. Do these domains represent an unbiased random sample of all sequence families? Do targets solved by structural genomic initiatives (SGI) provide such a sample? What are approximate total numbers of structure-based superfamilies and folds among soluble globular domains?

Well, I've always found a good vegetable oil with a high flash point, like peanut oil, works pretty well. Of course, the fat frying off is one of the things that enhances the flavor (unless you're in Canada or one of those places, when it enhances the flavour).

I have a wireless one on the side door. Sometimes it rings all by itself.

I think when I had the attic painted with the solar barrier a couple of months ago that all of the pressure on one part of the attic flooring might have messed up this bell. It has a transformer in the top of the hall closet, and the bell itself is in the hall by the bedrooms. Scares the crap out of anyone when it rings, but we can tell it from the doorbell unit that is plugged in in the other hall for the other door.

What do you want to bet that that 18-year-old will now enter a sicker and sicker cycle of events in prison that won't include useful therapy so that by the time he's ready to come out he'll be a full-fledged much more dangerous sicko. Just a thought.

Moonglow's computer for college is arriving in three different boxes today. The doorbell is broken (don't have a clue how to fix it--I think it involves getting up in the attic) and I had to put a sign out instructing people to knock or go to the side door. Five minutes later "BAMBAMBAMBAM!" and the box with the surge protector arrived. Too bad I have lots of errands today--I'm going to be running back and forth and trying to leave someone here to get the next two boxes.

Hot as hell outside today. My fridge started up again on its own but I'll play it safe and continue to clean it out and I'll empty it (neighbor has a spare freezer I can stash my still-frozen stuff in for a while) and give it a good cleaning. You should have seen how sticky the floor was under it. Euuuwwww. Anyway, reason I bring up the heat is because I no longer have a compost heap. Why is that important? Because I now have a lot of unfrozen veggies and stuff that spoiled (eggs) that has to go in a trash bag and bake out beside the house in a metal can until Thursday morning. This being Tuesday, I expect this property to be declared a hazardous site by tomorrow afternoon, even with the bags tied closed and the lid on the can.

Y'all might remember that back in May an 18 year old attacked a 10 year old with a knife and pushed the youngster back in the boys' room with the intent of lewd acts. This happened in the Library, and the kid yelled and ran for his mom.

Well, yesterday two things happened.

First, the security cameras came on-line (we're going to aim them this morning).

Second, the 18 year old was sentenced to five years years without parole, and up to ten more years "indeterminate." The kid's mother testified at the sentencing that her son can't sleep alone anymore, has nightmares, and doesn't trust people he doesn't know. There is some thought that the 18 year old performed "lewd acts" with other children, but there is no proof.

Professor Emeritus James DeLaurier achieved something in early July that has fascinated humankind throughout much of history. DeLaurier and a team of students at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies achieved sustained flight by a piloted ornithopter – an airplane with flapping wings that are mechanically operated – something dreamed of by Leonardo da Vinci, among others.

"He though about it carefully," said DeLaurier of da Vinci's design for an ornithopter. "He put a remarkable amount of thought into it but was limited by the materials of his time."

The concept of an ornithopter differs from standard fixed-wing aircraft because when flying its wings flap up and down in a manner similar to that of birds in flight. "It's an ancient dream, achieving flight with flapping wings," said DeLaurier, a professor of aerospace engineering at U of T since 1974, who retired this summer.

With the help of his current research team of four students, test pilot Jack Sanderson and a few other volunteers, DeLaurier achieved his lifelong dream of flying a full-scale ornithopter July 8 at Downsview Park. Equipped with a 24-horsepower engine and a model airplane turbo booster, the ornithopter flew for 14 seconds at an average speed of 88 km/h, in the process travelling a third of a kilometre.

* First Law of Living: As soon as you start doing what you always wanted to be doing, you'll want to be doing something else.

* Weiner's Law of Libraries: There are no answers, only cross-references.

* Isaac's Strange Rule of Staleness: Any food that starts out hard will soften when stale. Any food that starts out soft will harden when stale.

* Kenny's Law of Auto Repair: The part requiring the most consistent repair or replacement will be housed in the most inaccessible location.

* Second Law of Business Meetings: If there are two possible ways to spell a person's name, you will pick the wrong one. Corollary - If there is only one way to spell a name, you will spell it wrong anyway.

* The Grocery Bag Law: The candy bar you planned to eat on the way home from the market is hidden at the bottom of the grocery bag.

* Yeager's Law: Washing machines break down only during the wash cycle. Corollary: All breakdowns occur on the plumber's day off.

* Lampner's Law of Employment: When leaving work late, you will go unnoticed. When you leave work early, you will meet the boss in the parking lot.

* Quile's Consultation Law: The job that pays the most will be offered when there is no time to deliver the services.

* Loftus' Law: Some people manage by the book, even though they don't know who wrote the book or even which book it is.

My fridge is only four and a half years old. Better not be time for a new one. Two coolers in the kitchen, gotta get more ice. Neighbors each have spare fridges, but I don't want to start running to their garages to fix dinner.

MMario, I think a whiff of your weekend made it over here. The morning walk was a bit of a challenge this morning with trash bags ripped on the streets (and keeping the dogs out of it) and dogs off of leashes. And now I find the cold (versus freezer) section of my fridge seems to have died. I cooked up a storm yesterday to make leftovers for all week.

I can name all fifty states and all or most of the territories. I can also name all of Canada's provinces and most of the counties of Ireland. Moreover, I can name all seven dwarves: Sleazy, Spacey, Junky, Dumbhead, Pusher, Leroy, and Trixie. The names of Santa's reindeer are Bottom, Thistledown, Peasblossom, Puck, Moms, Easy, Stoner, Fido, and of course Alky, who leads the pack because of his red nose. Want me to recite the General Orders or the Ten Commandments? Huh? Do ya do ya do ya? How about the mnemonic for the bass clef lines, huh? Or the one for the stellar spectral classes? I really like lists, I've always liked lists and mnemonics, I full of lists and mnemonics and I know that because when I was very young people told me so; they'd say, "You're full of it." The US Rifle Caliber .30 M-1 is a clip-fed, gas-operated, semiautomatic shoulder weapon weighing ten pounds unloaded and without bayonet. The moons of Jupiter are oh, Hi! Is it time for the pills already?

You sound like one of those undergrads saving up for college fees who tells you their name is James if you need anything, but never tell you what their name is if you don't. They half close their eyes and assume a reverent look as they recite their lessons about lightly salted and gently braised whathaveyou au Doh... Ask them the names of fifty states and they'd freeze right up.

Just for you, Amos -- lunch today was lightly salted fresh chilled tomato wedges mixed with purple basil and a dollop of mayonnaise, served with focaccia bread, and finished with a raspberry-peach crisp.

Well, I certainly deserved that, didn't I; for standing up for Mom's right to an intelligent conversation. But, hey, I ain't gonna come between the wimmin folk -- you and Mom can share the rest of them tomaters, and I'll just go for a long walk down a short country road... hmmph.

Oh Jessup I set up a coup, and it upset poor little you. Your poems I know ems, you're irate, and throw em out wildly to starboard and port. In taking pot shots, at innocent Scots It's troubled me lots and lots I know what the problem is friend You had your own plan for the end But Amos you're lumbered I got the round numbered Post, you're upset because you did not!

Rabbi Burns understudy, and Poet Lorry Ate to the court of King Haggis.